Chapter 123: 123. Everyone happens to be together.
In the following days, Lu Yao devoted all his energy to 'Spring Breeze and Drunkenness,' given to him by Zhou He.
The essence of the book was to infuse the power of the mind into one's voice, influencing those of weak will.
At first glance, it seemed similar to hypnosis on Blue Star, ineffective against those with a strong will, seemingly not that impressive.
But you could beat an enemy until they were hanging by a thread, at which point their will would no longer be firm.
A deeper implication was to guide Spirit Refining Practitioners to explore more functions of Mind Force, to influence the material world with this intangible power, and to prepare for the 'Fetal Breath,' and even the 'Out-of-Body' realm.
The book Zhou He had sent was thoughtfully chosen, making this old Taoist worthy of friendship.
After reading for a while, Liao Qe ran over excitedly and invited her beloved to play the 'Stone Roller' game together.
A 500-jin stone roller, tossed back and forth between two people ten meters apart, practiced receiving blows and deflecting force.
Liao Qe threw the heavy stone roller with all her might. Lu Yao, still unaccustomed to the game, was pushed back a step, his arms numbing from the impact.
After a few tosses, the girl reminded him, "Deflect the force, don't just brace against it with your body; let the force flow into the ground. Look at my movements."
Upon catching the stone roller Lu Yao threw, Liao Qe slightly turned her body and stepped back, sinking into two small pits in the ground, and most of the stone's momentum went into the earth.
Observing her movements with 'the body following the mind,' Lu Yao tried twice and then mastered the technique, playing the game with Liao Qe more spiritedly.
The huge stone roller flew back and forth in the air, filling the courtyard with the terrifying whir of wind.
Passersby in the street, on hearing the noise, hurriedly sped up to leave. The more chaotic the times, the less anyone dared to provoke those with martial power.
~~~~~~~~
After the practice, both were drenched in sweat, and Liao Qe leaned in to help Lu Yao wipe it off.
The couple embraced each other, rubbing cheeks and laughing merrily.
Liao Ya, watching this scene from her room, felt an inexplicable envy, sighing at her sister's fortune for picking up a perfect man on the street, with a smile that never left her face.
While Master Liao was lost in his thoughts, Su Er Ya, as usual, came to deliver the newspaper and clean the yard.
Observing the thin, small figure, Liao Ya inwardly nodded her approval. Day in, day out, rain or shine, the young girl had been helping with chores to the best of her ability with a calm spirit.
Admiring her temperament, in a few days' time, she considered accepting her as a nominal disciple, imparting some basic kung fu to see her subsequent progress.
~~~~~~~
Lu Yao greeted Er Ya, picked up the newspaper, and flipped through it. The pages were filled with complaints about the worsening public safety.
The Prefecture government, which had recently suffered from famine, saw many martial artists come to Yunzhou to make a living, leading to a clear deterioration in public order.
Fortunately, the National Martial Arts Association had prevented any major chaos from breaking out.
However, a news piece tucked away in a corner caught the attention of Lu Yao—
[Menes Federation's Leite brothers test-fly "Flyer Number One"]
The black-and-white illustration showed a strange plane with two layers of wings, flipped over by strong winds, but at least it circled the sky.
Reading this news, Lu Yao realized—the first real planes in the Otherworld were about to emerge.
"Old Zhou's dream of soaring through the skies could be realized without having to rear an Immortal Crane... but riding a crane feels different than flying in a plane."
He checked the date; tomorrow was the day to visit White Cloud Observatory, so he needed to make some preparations.
Lu Yao took out two bottles of Golden Elixir Brew and set them in the trunk of his old car ahead of time, as the liquor made for an impressive gift.
Just then, there was the sound of a car stopping outside. To his surprise, it was Li Pei who had come over.
~~~~~~~~
The Commandery Princess was still accompanied by a group of suited attendants, herself dressed in a suit vest with a bow tie around her neck.
Lu Yao couldn't help but sneak a few glances, but Li Pei hated being stared at, returning a fierce glare that turned her gaze into bullets, perforating the young scamp.
The beautiful princess took Liao Ya's hand to greet her, then said to everyone,
"Tomorrow morning, you will accompany me to visit a senior. This senior comes from a reputable family, studied abroad in their youth, and has made significant achievements in the realm of Spirit Refinement."
This introduction to a revered figure was a clear gesture of support.
Li Pei, somewhat proud, said, "This senior is in the 'Fetal Breath Realm' of Spirit Refinement. A few words of advice from him could spare us a great deal of hard work. If it wasn't for my master's acquaintance with him, even my status as a Commandery Princess wouldn't grant me this opportunity."
Liao Ya bit her lower lip, her expression complicated as she said, "Sister, are you talking about Taoist Zhou He?"
Li Pei exclaimed in surprise, "Yes, it's that venerable man, the 4th rank conferred Taoist priest. How did you...?"
Liao Ya, somewhat embarrassed, said, "We also have been invited to visit White Cloud Observatory tomorrow, so we can all go together."
Li Pei was taken aback. Zhou He was a high-ranking figure in the Spirit Embryo Breathing Realm, also an Alchemy Sage. Ordinary people, even the wealthy, could hardly catch his eye.
How did the three members of the Liao Family come to have a relationship with him!?